Simone Biles said she is stronger today because she spoke out about her abuse.
Simone Biles, the four-time Olympic gold medalist, is still dealing with her demons.
Speaking to Priyanka Chopra Jonas in a new YouTube series, Biles opened up about being sexually abused by former USA Gymnastics team Dr. Larry Nassar.
"Therapy is everything," said Biles, who now works with an emotional support dog. "I'm still going through things in everyday life that I still have to go to therapy for."
The athlete revealed she went through an incredibly dark time coming to terms with the abuse. She said she denied it and buried it, and was very depressed.
"I, like, never left my room. I was sleeping all the time and I told like one of my lawyers, I said, 'I sleep all the time because it's the closest thing to death," she said.
Biles said she initially kept the abuse a secret because she didn't want to be seen differently.
"I was not willing to put that out for the world to see. They are not going to see me as Simone the gymnast. They will see me as Simone the abuse survivor," she added.
But Biles said speaking out against her abuser was the right thing to do.
"It wasn't easy, but I feel like I'm a stronger woman today and I feel like telling my story has helped younger girls," she said.
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